(LAREDO, Texas) – Former La Salle County Deputy Sheriff Henry James Jr., 46, was sentenced to federal prison on each of six convictions for extortion, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today.

U.S. District Court Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered James into federal custody immediately following today’s sentencing hearing to begin serving the 50-month prison term she imposed as to each of the six counts of conviction, which are to be served concurrently. Upon completion of the prison term, the court has ordered James to serve a three-year-term of supervised release. Additionally, James must pay a total of $820 in restitution to the four Mexican nationals from whom he extorted money.

James, who was arrested in July 2007, pleaded guilty to all counts of a six-count indictment which accused him of extorting money while performing his duties as a Deputy Sheriff for La Salle County on various dates between June through July 2007. James conducted traffic stops on Mexican nationals traveling on Interstate Highway 35 and told them they had to pay their traffic fines in cash to him immediately or be detained until a judge was available. The four victims claimed they had paid James “fines” ranging from $120 to $300.

An undercover FBI operation was initiated following the receipt of complaints from four persons victimized by James and directed by the Laredo office of the FBI with the assistance of the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers. The operation involved FBI agents posing as Mexican nationals traveling alone along IH-35. On July 25, 2007, and again on July 28, 2007, an undercover agent was stopped by James at the intersection of the IH-35 service road and Texas Highway 44 for disregarding a stop sign. In each instance, the undercover agent presented a Mexican driver’s license and was allegedly told by James that because they were Mexican nationals they would have to either pay the $150 fine to him in cash and go free or follow him back to Cotula, Texas, and wait to appear before a judge. In each instance, the undercover FBI agent paid James the $150 “fine.” James issued a warning ticket to the undercover agent on each of the two occasions telling them they could throw away the warning ticket as soon as he left the area.

The first four counts of conviction related to the instances arising from the four-Mexican national complainants. The last two counts related to the stops involving the two undercover FBI agents.

This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Texas Rangers and the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel C. Rodriguez.